Spine boards have been used by physicians and emergency medical personnel for a number of years in the transport of injured or incapacitated persons. Particular care and attention is needed for the immobilization of the head and neck of an injured person being transported. Head and cervical spine immobilization is necessary to prevent possible neck (cervical spine) injuries from being exacerbated during transport. It is desirable that such immobilization be performed quickly and properly after an injured person has otherwise been properly secured on a spine board. Thus, a head immobilization apparatus should provide a high level of motion restriction with an intuitive design allowing for simple and proper application. The apparatus should be fully adjustable to fit the injured person. Given the limited space in an ambulance, the apparatus should also be compact for easy storage.
After the injured person has been properly immobilized for transport, emergency medical personnel should have good visual and tactile access to the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and neck of the injured person to properly diagnose the nature and extent of the injuries. Hence, a head immobilization apparatus should provide such access to the injured person. The injured person may need to be x-rayed while still on a spine board. Thus, the head immobilizer should have a high level of x-ray transparency.
With respect to head immobilization apparatuses, reference is made to the following:
Bodman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,625, relates to a device for immobilizing the head to prevent further injuries, such as neck injuries, including left and right complimentary blocks. Each block has a skull-supporting surface. The blocks contact the skull with the skull supporting surfaces diverging outwardly and upwardly to provide a wedging action to immobilize the skull against left and right movement as well as to position the height of the skull so that alignment of the neck is achieved. The skull-supporting surface surrounds but does not cover the ear so that assessment may be made easily. The left and right blocks may be disposable for one time use or permanently mounted on a carrier for reuse.
McReynolds et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,716, relates to an apparatus for supporting and immobilizing a head during surgery or examination by a treating physician. A headrest is secured to a base support. The headrest has open sides and is shaped to engage a patient's head. A pair of immobilizing jaws engages the head from the side to hold the head in place. Repositionable arm platforms are provided for steadying the physician's arms.
Park, U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,493, relates to an adjustable therapeutic pillow apparatus for applying a gentle traction force to the head, neck, and shoulder region of a user. The apparatus includes a base, first and second pillow members having spaced-apart convex pillow surfaces for engagement with the user, and means for fastening the pillow members to the base. The apparatus is adjustable in that both the lateral spacing of the pillow members and the overall length of the pillow members may be adjusted.
Laurin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,186, provides an apparatus for restraining a patient having a suspected spinal injury in the form of a spinal restraint including a rigid board, a plurality of restraining straps, a head support, a foot support, and carrying handles. The restraining straps extend laterally across the board from side portions thereof, the straps being longitudinally removable and laterally retractable. The head support is adapted for immobilizing the head of a patient and comprises a center support for supporting the back of the head of a patient and two side supports, one on each side of the central support, each one for supporting the side of the head of a patient and being movable between a support configuration and a loading and storing configuration in which the side support lies substantially flush with the center support.
Durham, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,766, relates to a head immobilizing apparatus including a main board having a central portion and spaced apart side edge portions. Positioned along the side edge portions are apertures to accommodate backboard engaging straps and head immobilizing straps. The backboard engaging straps are provided to secure the main board to a backboard in an emergency medical situation. The head immobilizing straps can be operably positioned in a variety of locations depending upon the apertures for positioning the head immobilizing straps. A pair of removable head supports is operably attached to the central portion of the main board through a hook and loop material. A head cushion is positioned at the central most portion of the main board. The main board of the head immobilizer is constructed of a high strength corrugated disposable material and the upright cushions and head pillow are constructed of an open cell foam to absorb blood and bodily fluids during trauma of the head of the patient.
Henley, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,656, relates to a backboard for immobilizing and transporting injured persons and a head restraining device for employment with such a backboard. The backboard includes a rigid support member, two head engaging members which are slidably received in a track attached to the rigid support member and latching assemblies to hold the head support members in a fixed position relative to the rigid support board. The head support members are designed to be positioned adjacent the head of an injured person who has been placed on the backboard, one head support member on each side of the head. The head support members may be completely removed from the track when not in use. The latching assemblies include a spring-biased member which engages the track, due to the spring bias, and holds the head-engaging member in a fixed position. The backboard may include body-strapping members which include a cloth strap, a ring slidably and rotatably retained by one end of the strap and a snap hook swivelly connected to each ring. The snap hooks are connectable to rods embedded in the handholds of the support board or to the rings of other strapping members. The backboards may include a foot support assembly which includes a footplate and two extension members. The footplate is rotatably attached to two extension members which in turn are slidably attached to the support board.
Klippel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,422, relates to a spine board apparatus with a short upper board member that is secured behind a patient's back and neck.
Gregory et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,213, relates to a headpiece which is provided for the head end of a table on which a patient lies on a side to have bottom side of the head engage the headpiece. A plurality of pads are adjustable by the headpiece support so that the head is retained in a fixed position while a chiropractor makes a vertible adjustment.
Patil et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,758, provides a frame having a platform or support including an area thereon for supporting a patient's head and for maintaining the patient's head in position.
Brock, U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,776, provides a collapsible telescoping head support mounted on a stretcher and has adjustable torso members mounted thereon. Straps extend through the head support and torso members for immobilizing a broken neck.
Darby, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,523, relates to a restraining assembly for children including a rigid support board having a head portion at one end adapted to underlie the head of the patient and laterally adjustable head holding pads provided on the head portion.
Rankin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,364, relates to an anatomical, compressible weight immobilizer, having orthopedic strap tension weights which are adapted to immobilize a portion of an injured patient's anatomy against disposition or dislocation, while the patient is reclining. To the portable orthopedic strap tension weighted components is secured a cervical chin strap supplement, in one embodiment. The unit with attachments is applicable to a stretcher or hospital bed or operating table and may be used alternately in the transport of the patient or in the retention of the patient in position for examination, operation or ambulatory movement.
Each of these patents provides spinal and cervical immobilization apparatuses with various features. None of these patents, however, discloses or suggests an immobilization apparatus that provides for ease of adjustability without removal of parts, integrated parts, accommodation for a wide range of sizes, consideration for x-rays, symmetrical parts for easy manufacturing, safety locks, etc. It has therefore been found desirable to design a head immobilizer with the advantages as noted below.
In addition, debate continues in the medical community with respect to these head immobilizers in terms of the choice between device disposal and the corresponding trade-offs among ecological responsibility, infection risk and cost-efficiency. As a result of this debate, it has been found desirable to develop a head immobilization system that is essentially reusable but still low enough in cost to be disposed when significantly contaminated.